I built a mono synth from a kit when I was 16 and, after much soldering, it worked! I had no musical training but would spend hours making sounds and some of them were musical. Several years later I modified it (ripped it apart) so that our keyboard player (Ian, you’ll hear about him later) could wear the keyboard around his neck and there was a multi-core cable trailing back to the bit with the knobs on. We actually used it at gigs
Over the years I’ve built several studios in garages along the way stopping off at a wonderful farm building for a number of years before returning to garages the latest of which I find myself in now. I’m really happy with how this one turned out and it’s a great place to work and think, even the dog likes to chill at the back and listen to the music.
I’ve been composing production music for many years for various publishers including Universal Music, Boost Music, Grey Man Production Music KPM and DNA Music. Consequently, my music has been used on many productions worldwide.
These include: Friends, Panorama, Budweiser, Tour De France, ITV Cycling, Miami Ink, Bt Sports
I’m very fortunate to have written extensively with the brilliant and highly regarded flute player and composer Ian Clarke.
He is an inspirational figure in the flute world and performs and teaches all over the world. He’s also a great friend!
Another great friend that I am fortunate to work with is the highly acclaimed ambient artist Bob Holroyd. Bob’s textural journeys are a wonderful soundtrack to the, oh so important contemplative moments in our lives that give us the space we need.
I worked with Jimbob and Fruitbat from Carter USM for many wonderful years which saw us record a number one album in one of the garages and also record at The Manor in Oxfordshire, a hugely famous residential studio, where tubular bells was recorded. I even ended up performing with them. These were definitely the rock and roll years!
I’m second from the left on the back row
Simon uses Cubase as the centre of his studio. He has an extensive collection of sample libraries, virtual instruments and plugins with which to compose, design, mangle and play with sound. These include software from Native Instruments, Izotope, Spectrasonics, Fabfilter, Waves, Arturia, Spitfire Audio and Output.